A Review of How Do You Burp in Space? by Susan E. Goodman

How Do You Burp in Space?
by Susan E. Goodman
Illustrated by Michael Slack

Release date July 9, 2013
Published by Bloomsbury USA Children's
Nonfiction
For ages 8 and up
80 pages
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. 




Summary
Did you know if you cry in space, the tears just stay in your eyes because of the reduced gravity?  Or did you realize that each member of a space flight is allowed only 2 pounds of personal supplies because the fuel costs approximately $10,000 per pound!! 


In this relatively short "travel guide", the reader gets a taste of what might be experienced if one were to travel into space.  Starting from take-off, the author describes what the travelers might see, feel and do in space.  It contains factual information combined with some entertaining humor.  Some things the reader will learn include what to expect during take off, what microgravity feels like, what astronauts do for fun, and what daily activities, such as eating (and yes, using the bathroom) will be like. 

My Thoughts
I was very happy I decided to read this book.  It is not the type of book I usually choose to read.  I found it to be very entertaining and informative.  Having only seen clips of space travel on the news, I knew very little about what astronauts actually do in space.  I never really thought about how difficult everyday things could be in microgravity.  Think about it.  So much of what we do every day relies on gravity such as brushing our teeth, drinking, and eating just to name a few. 
The author also describes what can be seen looking down on Earth from space.  Space travelers might see erupting volcanoes, and storm systems as they look back on the "big blue marble". 

The book contains photographs of real astronauts in space interspersed with some cute cartoon-ish characters that I think kids will really like.  Throughout the book, there are interesting quotes from real astronauts.  A timeline of space travel and suggestions for further reading are at the end.  At 80 pages, the book is not too long, but is long enough to engage a wide range of readers. 

In the Classroom
I know some students in my 4th grade class that would absolutely love this book.  How Do You Burp in Space? will appeal to many students who like non-fiction and/or books about space exploration.  It would make a great addition to a classroom library nonfiction section or in a thematic bin of books about space.  I could also imagine reading aloud a few pages per day during a unit on space and discussing as a class. This book could be used when teaching about different points of view as it is a good example of a text written in second person.
The writing style is narrative expository.  How Do You Burp in Space? could be analyzed and used as a mentor text to explore this type of writing. Students would also have fun coming up with questions they have about space travel after reading the book. I know I have a ton of questions now. 

Visit Susan Goodman's Website
Visit Michael Slack's Website

For more info on space exploration
kidsastronomy.com
ESA Kids 
NASA Kids' Club

Writing Resources
Travel for kids- Click on a country to view a brief travel guide for kids.
Design a travel brochure at Read, Write, Think
Download travel guide templates 

More Books for Kids Who Love Space
Visit Amazon and Goodreads for lists of children's books about space and space exploration.


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